A few Sei whales lie dead after beaching in a remote part of Patagonia. Photo: VRENI HÄUSSERMANN / NatGeo
During a research mission, flying over a remote fjord in Chile’s Patagonia, scientists came across a startling discovery – 337 dead whales. Tragic and shocking, the event went down as the largest stranding known to science.
The discovery was made by scientist Carolina Simon Gustein and her colleagues from the Universidad de Chile and Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales in Santiago on June 23rd. And because the region is so remote and has such wild seas, on this specific voyage, they were only able to investigate from the air. Many of the whales were in an advanced state of decay but due to the region and size of the creatures, it’s speculated that they are Sei whales.
As an endangered species, Sei whales have an estimated population of only about 80,000, making this massive die-off a huge blow to the species’ existence. They are large, blueish gray whales that can grow up to 64 feet and weigh in at 50 tons. As one of the fastest cetacean species, Sei whales can swim up to 31 miles per hour. And they can live anywhere from 50 to 70 years, when their lifespan isn’t threatened by an outside force, which is the case here.
It’s expected that the mass beaching was the result of red tide (a massive bloom of toxic microorganisms). And although Gustein didn’t want to speculate until her and her team conducted thorough research, that’s what she expects was the culprit, according to NatGeo. Red tides can be caused or made worse by sewage and fertilizer dumping, but one corporation isn’t targeted for blame just yet.
It may take a while for the researchers to figure out what’s causing the cryptic whale graveyard in Patagonia. But until then, watch this massive Sei whale elegantly fly through the water and open its billowing mouth for a bite to eat…pretty amazing creatures:
